Past Exhibition: Awabakal to Wanaruah

Friday, 05 November 2010 00:00

Awabakal to Wanaruah was an exhibition of outstanding indigenous art from the Hunter. Leading indigenous artist and curator Les Elvin worked with artists from across the Hunter to explore the stories of their local region and record them in paint.

Paintings included maps of the Wollombi and Pokolbin areas, a beautiful depiction of the famous 'Burning Mountain' at Wingen and paintings describing dreamtime stories such as Tiddilick the Frog. Through these works artists re-examined their history, their family and connections to the land.

The traditional owners of this country, including the Woromi, Awabakal and Wanaruah people once lived and travelled across most of the Hunter; meeting their cousins the Darjining, Gu-ring-gai and war-like Gamilaroi at the Wollombi meeting grounds for important ceremonies. The Cessnock area is one of the richest sites of indigenous rock and cave art in the country, rivalling even better known sites in the central desert regions. This exhibition provided local indigenous people with the opportunity to explore their past and celebrate their present.